Extended Antlerless Deer Season Begins Saturday

The South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Department is offering nine additional days to harvest antlerless deer.

The extensions for the West River and East River seasons begin Saturday and end Jan. 6. The regular West River Deer season closed Nov. 25 and the regular East River Deer season closed Dec. 2.

Chief of terrestrial resources Tom Kirschenmann reminds deer hunters that their "any deer" and "any whitetail deer" tags expired and do not convert to "antlerless tags" as in previous years. He says that only unfilled "any antlerless deer" and "antlerless whitetail deer" tags are valid for the late-season dates.

The changes help harvest more antlerless deer in areas that need it most while curtailing the doe harvest where deer populations are at or below population objectives.